---
navigationLabel: Detect Overflow
---

# Detect Overflow

The `detectOverflow` utility returns an object of overflow offsets of the popper
or reference element relative to a given boundary.

```js
import detectOverflow from '@popperjs/core/lib/utils/detectOverflow.js';

const overflow = detectOverflow(state, options);
```

You can use this utility within your own custom modifiers.

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## State

The first argument is the popper instance state that gets passed in to
modifiers.

## Options

```flow
type Options = {
  placement: Placement, // state.placement
  elementContext: Context, // "popper"
  boundary: Boundary, // "clippingParents"
  rootBoundary: RootBoundary, // "viewport"
  altBoundary: boolean, // false
  padding: Padding, // 0
};

// Below are the relative types
type Context = 'reference' | 'popper';
type Boundary = 'clippingParents' | HTMLElement | Array<HTMLElement>;
type RootBoundary = 'document' | 'viewport';
type Padding =
  | number
  | {|
      top?: number,
      right?: number,
      bottom?: number,
      left?: number,
    |};
```

### `placement`

This will check the overflow when the popper is given this placement. By
default, it's `state.placement`.

### `elementContext`

This describes the element that is being checked for overflow relative to the
boundary.

```js
detectOverflow(state, {
  elementContext: 'reference', // 'popper' by default
});
```

### `boundary`

This describes the area that the element will be checked for overflow relative
to.

By default, it is `"clippingParents"`, which are the scrolling containers that
may cause the element to be partially or fully cut off.

```js
const customBoundary = document.querySelector('#boundary');

detectOverflow(state, {
  boundary: customBoundary, // 'clippingParents' by default
});
```

### `rootBoundary`

This describes the root boundary that will be checked for overflow. There are
only two "roots" – the viewport and the document. `"viewport"` is default, which
is the area of the document the user can actually see on the screen.
`"document"` is the entire page which can be potentially scrolled.

```js
detectOverflow(state, {
  rootBoundary: 'document', // 'viewport' by default
});
```

### `altBoundary`

This describes whether to use the alt element's boundary. For example, if the
`elementContext` is `"popper"`, then it will check the reference's boundary
context, and vice-versa.

```js
detectOverflow(state, {
  altBoundary: true, // false by default
});
```

### `padding`

Applies virtual padding to the boundary.

You can pass a `number`, which will be equal padding on all four sides, or an
`object` containing side properties each with their own padding value.

```js
detectOverflow(state, {
  // Same padding on all four sides
  padding: 8,
  // Different padding on certain sides – unspecified sides are 0
  padding: { top: 8, right: 16 },
});
```

## Return value

```flow
// If the number is positive, the popper is overflowing by that number of pixels.
// When 0, or negative, the popper is within its boundaries.
type OverflowOffsets = {
  top: number,
  bottom: number,
  right: number,
  left: number,
};
```
